Supplement 25 — For Lessons 49 & 50

Supplement Twenty-five

For Lessons Forty-nine and Fifty

In the last few supplements we have been answering the arguments of those who teach that it is not God’s will to heal and prosper men, that healing and all the blessings of God are not in the atonement, and that it is the will of God for Christians to suffer sickness, pain, poverty, and want in life. We have shown that it could not possibly be the will of God for His own blood-bought children to suffer any of the curses that Christ died to save men from in this life and in the life to come. If you will only believe the truth about these doctrines you will never have to fear demons or be without these benefits.

Prosperity, Healing and Full Salvation for All

If these blessings are for one they are for all, because God is no respecter of persons Romans 2:11. Would it be just on the part of God to give these blessings to some and not to all? Could it be possible for many modern ministers to be right who teach that it is not the will of God for all to get these blessings? The minister quoted in the last supplement says, “The author does not limit the power of God, nor does he deny the fact that at times God does heal a Christian. We believe God heals whom He wills, when He wills, and how He wills . . . God does not always heal and raise up Christians who are sick.”

What kind of reasoning is this? How could God be just and be no respecter of persons and yet at times and for certain persons decide to manifest healing? How could a Christian ever be sure that he is living at that particular time when God feels gracious to do what He promises—that which He promises to do for all and which Christ died to freely give to all? How can he know that he is a special pet of God or that he belongs to the special class to whom God will “at times” feel merciful toward? Such reasoning and contradictions to the Scriptures are not worthy of an intelligent man’s consideration to say the least.

We Live in the Times of God’s Mercy

The times of God’s mercy have been from the fall of man until now and they will continue until the end of the Millennium when men will never be sick again. In other words, as long as there is a sick person, God’s mercy will be extended to him if he believes the gospel and has faith in God to heal him. God’s salvation and compassion cover every human need now and forever. We have seen in Lesson Fourteen that God has healed men in all past ages before and after the cross and that God has never turned down one person who came to Him in faith according to the gospel. We have seen that in the New Testament there is provision for God’s blessings for body, soul, and spirit; provision for prosperity, forgiveness, healing, and deliverance from all the works of the devil.

God’s Program is to Bless All Men Here and Now

It is true that God heals whom He wills, when He wills, and how He wills, but the program of God is in black and white. It is plainly written in Scripture that He wills to prosper, heal, and save all men here and now who will believe in Him. It is revealed that the time is now that God wills to bless men. It is also made clear how He wills to help men who are in need. His program is that of faith in the gospel, in the atonement and work of Christ on the cross, and in the resurrection from the dead. Paul said by the Holy Ghost that “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things” Romans 8:32. We can thus boldly and scripturally declare that all things are ours here and now. What good would a gospel be that provided benefits for men in the past and future and left out men who are living now? The Bible proves to us that any religion teaching that there are no benefits to the people of the present age but that they were experienced by men in the past and will be enjoyed in the future is of the devil himself. It has been the program of demons in every generation to rob men of the blessings God has provided for all alike.

The Great Hindrances to All Blessings of God

The great hindrance to any blessing of God is that of uncertainty in the mind and heart concerning the will of God. Some raise the question as to whether or not it is God’s will for them to be saved, to be healed, and to be prosperous in material things. Others question whether it is God’s time to bless them. And still others question whether such blessings would be the best for them or not. All such questioning and uncertainty will rob men of the benefits that are freely promised to all alike. How can a man have faith if he is uncertain as to the will of God or if there is any wavering at all? God has definitely told all men that no man needs to expect an answer where there is a wavering faith. This is stated in Jas. 1:4-8, “If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

What To Do To Stop All Wavering

The first thing for one to do is to study the Bible and become settled as to what God promises for all men today. If He has made promises that cover every specific human need then it can be relied upon without further questioning that it is the will of God to give to each person that which He has promised. One should get the particular promises that plainly state the will of God in granting what is desired and then he should refuse to tolerate any wavering concerning the question. He should not listen to conflicting thoughts that oppose the promises of God or argue the case with men or devils. It should be settled once and forever that it is God’s will to grant what He has promised. It should also be settled that any time a person truly prays in faith, the answer will be granted. This kind of attitude naturally implies that one believes that God has made such provision or He would not have made these kinds of promises. It is impossible to receive by faith the blessings of God if one is not sure that He has promised. Likewise, it is impossible for one to fail to receive what he claims by faith if he does not waver. God is true, His Word is yea and amen to them that believe, and no man can fail to get what he has asked for, when he stands in faith and refuses to waver or question the will of God as revealed in His promises.

The Law of Faith Must Be Obeyed

The law of faith is: “As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee” Matthew 8:13, “According to your faith be it unto you” Matthew 9:27-29, “O Woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt” Matthew 15:21-28, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” Matthew 21:21-22, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” Mark 9:23, “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” Mark 11:22-24, “He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” Hebrews 11:6, “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering” James 1:4-8.

It is an unchangeable law of God that one must believe exactly what he asks in order to receive it. It would be impossible for a sinner to be saved unless he first believes that it is God’s will to save him and that salvation takes place when he confesses his sin Romans 10:9-101 John 1:9. In like manner, it is impossible for one to be healed unless he believes it is the will of God and that it is done when he prays. This applies to prayer for prosperity, health, or whatever else is asked of God. Faith must rest upon the will of God that is fully known by the Word of God. It cannot rest upon mere human desires and wishes or on the physical senses. True faith that appropriates what is asked is not believing that God can, but that God will.

“If It Be Thy Will” Should Be Forgotten

The statement “If it be thy will” should never be used in prayer concerning anything that is asked that God has promised. If God has promised something, then it is already His will or He would not have made the promise. To ask Him if it is His will to do what He has already promised and made clear to be His will, is to accuse Him of being a liar. In other words, we in effect tell God that we know what He has promised, but we do not believe that He is true to His Word. We try to convince God that He should be true to His Word. This is all foolish and unnecessary and it is sinful to say the least. God will do what He has promised. It is His will already to do what He says He will do.

Suppose that we had promised something to someone and that person would continually throw it in our face that he did not believe that we were true to our word and that he did not expect what was promised. Suppose that this person would go around constantly to others and ask them to pray that it would be our will to do what we had promised and that we would make it plain that we had made the promise. What kind of feeling would we have toward such an unbelieving person who would let us know, as well as others, that he had no confidence in our word? What kind of reaction do we think God has to those who constantly accuse Him in prayer of being untrue to His Word? We would soon stop all dealings with a person that had no faith in our word and character. And so it is with God, who promises that He will not hear anyone under these circumstances Hebrews 11:6James 1:4-8Mark 11:22-24.

Will Men Die if God Always Heals Them?

Certainly men must die their appointed deaths on Earth until the time of the rapture when this law that all men must die will be broken Hebrews 9:271 Corinthians 15:51-58. God did not promise to keep men from dying their own appointed deaths, for that would be breaking His own Word, but He has promised to heal them and keep them in health until natural death Exodus 15:26Psalms 91:1-12Psalms 103:1-4Matthew 8:16-17Matthew 21:21-22Mark 9:23Mark 11:22-24John 15:7, 16James 5:14-16. He has promised to take away sickness from us and that the number of our days He will fulfill if we will meet certain conditions Exodus 23:25-26Psalms 90:10Psalms 91:1-12Psalms 102:241 Peter 3:10-12.

What is Included in Christ’s Will and Testament?

It has been made clear in Lessons Ten and Twelve and in other supplements what is included in the will of God through Christ. We have seen that God has promised men all that they want and need in this life as well as in the life to come. We have given many Scriptures proving that prosperity, healing, health, and all wants are included in God’s will and testament. All we have to do is to read His will. Suppose a wife should be in possession of the last will and testament of her husband but she constantly argues, reasons, doubts, and questions what her husband left her or whether he left her anything or not. Or worse still, after she had read the will she worried all the time whether the will was really meant for her or not, and whether he really desired and willed her to have what he left her. You would say that such a woman is very foolish indeed. But she is really no more foolish than the majority of Christians who have the plain terms of the will of God in the Bible and yet they will not read and believe that the benefits of the gospel are for them. They hear men preach and they read these lessons that God means what He says and that every promise of God is yea and amen to them that believe and yet it seems to never really dawn upon them, or they never get it firmly settled in their minds that everything promised in the Bible is for them.

No Excuse for Ignorance of God’s Will

There is no excuse for ignorance about the will of God since all can read in the Bible what God has left for them in His will through Christ. If one is in doubt as to what he can have, let him read the will of God for himself. If someone is left things of value by a will and he does not desire to get the benefits provided simply because he does not want to touch or use any part of the blessings left him in the will, that is his fault and not that of the testator. If he should constantly whine and worry about getting something needed that is left him in a will, just because he does not believe it was left him, then let him go without the benefits and keep his mouth shut about being in need. So it is with Christians, if they do not want the benefits they read about in the Bible because they think it would be asking amiss and it might not please God, then let them go without these blessings. There is no excuse for the lack of anything in life, now or hereafter, for all things are freely promised and abundantly provided for all in the Bible.

Everyone Can Have All That is Promised

Since God is no respecter of persons, all men can have all that is promised to them by Him if they will have faith in God. If one can have any part of what is promised, he can have all that God has promised. If some of God’s promises are untrue, then we have no assurance that any of them are true. If one cannot get one part of the benefits provided in the gospel, then there is no grounds of assurance that he can get some other benefits that are promised. Paul said, “All things are yours . . . things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s” 1 Corinthians 3:21-23. All things are ours that are promised of God, for again Paul said, “all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” 2 Corinthians 1:20. What could be clearer?

All Answers to Prayer Are for God’s Glory

Not only are we told that all things are ours, but we are told for what reason they are for us— “unto the glory of God” 2 Corinthians 1:20. This is the chief reason for answered prayer whether it be for prosperity, healing, health, salvation from sin, or whatever it might be. Jesus said, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” John 14:12-15. When prayer has any other object it is selfish and useless. This does not exclude the needs and even the wants of man to the full. It might appear first that if we ask what we want that it is selfish and not for the glory of God, but not so. We have already proven that it is God’s will for men to ask for what they want. This is not selfish. It is godly and perfectly natural. It is according to the divine and spiritual plan for men to ask what they desire Mark 11:22-24John 14:12-15John 15:7, 16. When men do this they glorify God because it gives Him a chance to show His power and vindicate His own character and prove His love for men. It is the only way to confirm the Word of God. How can God become glorified as long as His hands are tied because of unbelief of men? How can He fulfill His Word to them when they do not believe and see the glory of God? How can He be glorified when men make Him a liar concerning His promises? How can God prove His love to men when they refuse it by failing to cooperate with Him in His plan of being glorified? No prayer for any good thing is selfish, for it is to the glory of God to grant all that is asked according to His promises.

What is God’s Desire for Men?

God’s desire is that men yield completely to Him and cooperate wholeheartedly with Him for the highest of all beings and of the universe. It is God’s highest will to give to all men liberally without rebuking them for asking any and everything that they want for their good and His glory James 1:4-8John 14:12-15John 15:7, 16John 16:23-26Mark 9:23Mark 11:22-24. When men ask they cannot ask amiss or ask selfishly when they are consecrated to the same end to which God is consecrated—the best good of all creation. Those who ask amiss are adulterers and adulteresses who seek to consume God’s blessings upon their own lusts James 4:1-5. It is impossible to ask amiss when one asks in faith, nothing wavering, for he will only ask in harmony with God and His promises. This implies that he has been “born-again” and is fully consecrated to God and to the best good of his own being and that of the society in which he dwells. (See God’s plan for the needs of man in Lesson Ten.)

Who Has Been Authorized to Change God’s Will?

It would seem from modern teachings about the Bible that someone has been authorized to change the will of God. Or, we might say, all men have been authorized to change it to suit themselves according to the particular church creed they seek to have the Bible conform to. It is a universal idea that one can get any meaning they desire out of the Bible or one can prove anything by the Scriptures. It is also universally accepted that men are free to interpret Scriptures in any way they choose. Who gave them this authorization? It certainly could not be that God has authorized men to change His word and make it meaningless by every theory man can manufacture to excuse his sin and unbelief. If it could not be God, then it must be the work of the devil that makes men think they are free to change the Word of God to suit themselves.

It thus becomes clear that the demons have inspired such fallacies that lead men away from the plain truths of the Bible and make the Word of God of no effect and worse than the fables of men. When one believes any part of any doctrine that contradicts the Word of God he denies truth to that extent. God has no part in cheating men out of what He has willed them through Christ. Christ is the mediator of the New Testament. He is our advocate, or lawyer, and He will not cheat one man out of one part of the will as earthly lawyers sometimes do. Since the will has never been changed by God, all changes are made by demons and men who seek to break the will and keep the rightful heirs from their inheritance.

Both Testaments Promise the Same Blessings

As we have seen in Lesson Thirty-two, the Law of Moses has been abolished but this does not do away with the many blessings God has promised men in all ages before the cross. Before the law was given, God promised to bless all nations through Jesus Christ Genesis 12:1-2. God enlarged upon His program for man as He revealed more of His will to bless men when the law was given. In the five books of the Law of Moses we have many promises of God’s providence in every phase of human life Exodus 15:26Exodus 23:25-26Deuteronomy 5:16, 29Deuteronomy 6:3, 18Deuteronomy 12:28Deuteronomy 19:13Deuteronomy 28:1-14Leviticus 26:1-13. In other books of the Old Testament God continues to promise men prosperity, healing, health, salvation, and even the desires of their heart Joshua 1:5-91 Samuel 2:7-81 Kings 2:3-4Ezra 8:22Psalms 1:1-3Psalms 23:1Psalms 34:10Psalms 84:11Psalms 91:1-12Psalms 103:1-4.

The Law of Moses or the Old Covenant recorded in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy is the only part of the Old Testament contained in thirty-nine books that is abolished. The many truths of these books before and after the law was given, that were given to men in general, and that are taught in the New Testament, are still applicable to men today. Even the truths of the law that were made a part of the New Covenant are still in force. It is only those parts of the Old Covenant that were not made a part of the New Covenant that are not in force today for Christians. Such truths as faith in God, salvation from sin and bad habits, healing of the body, health, prosperity, answers to prayer, and those benefits that God has made clear are for men of all ages, are still for men today even though they were a part of the Old Covenant. Men do not get these benefits by obedience to the old law but by obedience to the New Covenant. All these blessings have been brought into the New Covenant and made a part of it. Scriptures in the Old Testament can be used to prove such doctrines that are clear in the New Covenant. Even Scriptures recorded in the Law of Moses can be used to prove that it has always been God’s will in every age to bless men with all these good things.

In the New Covenant, however, we have an abundance of proof that we can get all the universal blessings of God that are for men of all ages past, present, and future. In fact the glory and blessings of the New Covenant are so much greater than those of the Law of Moses until there is no comparison. This is what Paul taught in 2 Cor. 3:6-15 when he said that the glory of the Old Covenant had no glory compared to that of the New Covenant. It can therefore be seen that all the benefits of God that He has promised in all ages can be experienced today in greater fulness because of the power and glory of the New Covenant.

We Have Exceeding Great and Precious Promises

This is what Peter taught in 2 Pet. 1:4, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” He also said that these promises give us “all things that pertain unto life and godliness” 2 Peter 1:3-4. Such promises that are given in the following passages reveal that nothing is impossible to any believer and that he can have whatsoever he desires Matthew 6:31-33Matthew 7:7-11Matthew 21:21-22Mark 9:23Mark 11:22-24John 14:12-15John 15:7, 16John 16:23-261 John 3:21-221 John 5:14-15.

It would be absolutely impossible for one person to fail to get what he wanted in life that God has promised if he would take these promises and meet the conditions of their fulfillment. One can have full salvation from sin, sickness, poverty, and want by the gospel of Jesus Christ. But one must accept these truths and get rid of all questioning, argument, unbelief, and doubt that such benefits are promised by God to any and all believers. Until this is settled there can be no aggressive faith possible to attain to these blessings. One must freely and wholeheartedly accept these truths as the will of God for him before such doubts can be erased from the mind. When this is settled and there remains no argument against this fact, then one is on sound footing to ask and receive.

Common Sense Must Be Used

One must not expect that God will lay a million dollars at his feet the moment he prays, particularly if he is not being obedient to the laws of prosperity. God will begin to answer prayer and open up doors that will lead to prosperity. If one does all that he is supposed to do to get into the will of God and be led by Him in business, and if he will follow the laws we have given before, he will soon see that these truths are practical and beneficial. If a person wants salvation from sin, bad habits, and sickness, he can go immediately to God as we have explained before and receive immediate deliverance. In these things one must expect to do his part. He must renounce all sin and destroy all things that pertain to bad habits and have faith in God for deliverance before it will be realized. He cannot expect deliverance if he gets up from prayer and starts into sin again. He cannot start drinking, smoking, chewing, dancing, swearing, pleasure-going, or anything that he has asked for forgiveness and deliverance from and expect an answer. One must refuse to go back into sin if he wants God to break the power of sin in his life. It is not fair to God or to one’s self to ask God to forgive and deliver him from the power of these sins and then go right on living in them when he gets up from prayer.

It may be true that temptations will come at first. Such temptations will be weak or strong to the extent of personal hatred and renunciation of the sinful habits and whether one means business with God or not. God will not supernaturally pick one up by the nape of the neck and keep him from going into any place of sin. He does not ordinarily knock the tobacco, whisky, or dope out of the hand of anyone if they are determined to continue in sin, unless by some special intervention to wake a person up. God can do all things, but we simply mean that in His ordinary dealings with man He demands cooperation with Him to receive deliverance. When man is earnest and seeks divine help to deliver him from these habits or to cleanse from all sin, God will supernaturally deliver him from the power and dominion of sin.

In case of sickness, one must know that healing is for him and that God is His only help. He must turn to God with a whole heart and rebuke the disease and resist demons by faith in the name of Jesus Christ and His atonement. He must not tolerate sickness and disease in his body. He must claim healing and full deliverance and maintain that it is done and it will be manifested. In other words, a person who wants the salvation of God for any trouble in life must meet the plain conditions laid down in connection with the promises and he will get full deliverance. Let us all have faith in God and His Word and ask in simple, unwavering faith for those benefits of the gospel that are for us all.

Ten Questions For Supplement Twenty-five. Do You Know:

• That there will not be a general judgment for both the righteous and the wicked? As we have seen in Lesson Thirty-eight, there will be a judgment for the righteous before the Millennium and one for the wicked after the Millennium. Therefore, contrary to common opinion, there will be no general judgment for both classes at the same time and place. Only the wicked dead will be judged at the final judgment, as is clear in Rev. 20:7-15.

• That Jesus had brothers and sisters? In Mt. 13:55 and Mk. 6:1-3 it is clear that He had both brothers and sisters. His own home town people that knew Him said, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not all his sisters here with us?” He had at least four brothers (that is, half brothers). He also had more than two sisters, for if there were only two, the word “all” would have been “both.” Jesus is called Mary’s firstborn Matthew 1:25Luke 2:7. This would imply that she had other children. In Ps. 69:8-9 it is stated of the Messiah that He would be a stranger and an alien to his brethren, His “mother’s children.” That this passage refers to Christ is clear in Jn. 2:17. His brethren and mother came to him seeking to get him away from the crowds Matthew 12:46-50. In Jn. 7:3-10 we read that they showed lack of sympathy for His work. They later believed in Him and were greatly used of God Acts 1:14James 1:1Acts 12:17Acts 15:13-21Acts 21:18Galatians 1:19Galatians 2:9, 121 Corinthians 9:5. The natural meaning of “his brethren” never would have been questioned if it had not been for the doctrine of exalting Mary as the mother of God and to identify her with the great goddess of paganism, as we have seen in previous lessons and in my book Revelation Expounded.

• That the devil knows that he will be defeated? This is clear from Rev. 12:12, “the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” His defeat was predicted by God as far back as Gen. 3:15. From here on there are many prophecies of his defeat. His doom is predicted in Rev. 20:1-10; Mt. 25:41. God always fulfills His Word, so it is clear that Satan knows his coming defeat and doom.

• That we are at the very end of this age? As we have seen in Lesson Forty-four there are many signs now coming to pass that prove we are near the end of this age. Many prophecies are also coming to pass which prove this fact. One of the most notable signs of the end of this age is the return of the Jews to their own land, as predicted by the prophets Jeremiah 30:18-24Jeremiah 31:1-40Jeremiah 32:37-44Hosea 2:4-5. This is now taking place and no one can dispute this fact. This and Mt. 24:37-39; 1 Tim. 4; 2 Tim. 3; 2 Pet. 3:1-3 and other passages prove we are living at the very end of this age.

• That Satan will be bound for 1,000 years and sin will still continue on the Earth? It is hard for some to understand how sin will continue on the Earth during the time that Satan will be bound for the 1,000 years of Rev. 20:1-10, but this is easy to understand when we see that sin is transgression of the law and that men will still be free moral agents during that time. There will be laws to obey in the Millennium just as there are today and men will become sinners by transgressing them just as they do today. That there will be sinners in the Millennium is clear from Isa. 65:20-25; 1 Cor. 15:24-28; Rev. 20:7-10; Zech. 14:16-21.

• That there is more than one paradise mentioned in Scripture? One paradise is mentioned as the place where Christ and the penitent thief went, which was in the lower parts of the Earth Luke 23:43Matthew 12:40Ephesians 4:7-11Psalms 16:10. Another paradise is mentioned as being in the third Heaven 2 Corinthians 12:1-3. Then the Garden of Eden is generally understood to be a paradise Genesis 2:8-25Genesis 3:1-19.

• That we shall know each other in both Heaven and Hell? That we shall know each other in Heaven is generally understood and is proven in 1 Cor. 13:12; 15:34-58, but that men shall know each other in Hell is not so universally known. That men will look into eternal Hell is clear from Isa. 66:22-24; Rev. 14:9-11 and as men will be fully conscious forever, as proven in Lesson Thirty-nine, it is also clear that they will know each other in Hell.

• That animals have souls and spirits? As seen in Lesson Four, Point I, 9, the soul is that which feels and the spirit is that which knows. Animals have both feelings and knowledge, but on a lower scale than that of men. They were not created in the likeness of God as were men. They are a lower type of life and they have souls and spirits in the sense of feelings, emotions, appetites, desires, passions, and a low form of knowledge, as can be seen in many Scriptures in Lesson Six, Point IX, 2 and 3.

• That both Jews and Gentiles will live on the Earth forever? In the next chapter we shall see many Scriptures proving eternal generations of natural peoples of both Jews and Gentiles. God created all men to live forever on the Earth. The Fall of Adam cut off all men from natural life on the Earth forever, but in the final restitution of all things natural men will again live on the Earth as intended by God before the Fall. They will be the subjects of the resurrected saints in the eternal kingdom forever. See Scriptures in Supplement Two, Question 2, for Scriptures proving eternal generations of natural people.

• That infant baptism is not taught in Scripture? There is not one word that mentions any such practice. On the contrary, it is clear from Scripture that baptism is only after men have repented and have been born-again by the Spirit of God, as we have seen in Lesson Twenty-nine, Point VIII. Infants are not lost due to the fact that they are not old enough to be responsible for their sins and therefore could not repent of known sins. Therefore, they cannot be fit candidates for water baptism, which is a symbol of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and a testimony to the world that the individual has been saved from a life of sin and is walking in newness of life. Only personal disciples and followers of Jesus Christ were commanded to be baptized Matthew 28:19-20Mark 16:15-16Acts 2:38-39.